Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-06-18
MEXICAN SOCIETY.
A SHADY SIDE, AND METHODS
OF MEXICAN POLICEMEN.
The Trade of Robbery and Assas-
sination, and the Manner in
Which it is Carried On.

1t IS popular belief in this country. but
probably an erroneous one, that no stranger
ever comes to the Mexican Capital without
having his past history and future plans
thoroughly looked into by the police and
carefully recorded at headquarters. Be
that as it may, common thieves, confidence
men and foot-pads find little chance in the
streets Of Mexico City. One never reads
here Of assault and battery cases, Of high
way robberies or pocket-picking but, as
elsewhere, while the little fish are so care
fully guarded, the big ones those who steal
genteelly, by thousands) generally manage
TO escape the nets.
In this section, the favorite stamping
ground foT criminals of all classes is lust
outside the city limits in the Boulevard de
Ia Reforma-the magnificent driveway con
structed by Emperor Macmillan as an av.
enue Of approach to his palace at Chapulte-
pee. Brilliant as is the scene il presents on
every pleasant afternoon when crowded
with the beauty and fashion of the Canifal
II IS neither safe nor pleasant place after
ngntiall, Before Maximilian's day it was
wild and desert suburb, full of hollows
hooks and hiding places, where more nnr,
ders and courtships were nightly conducted
than in any other spot of equal size on the
continent. The Mexicans have a proverb
characteristic of the race, which means
Where women are, blood is not far off y
Were not the modest moon so reticent of
her secrets, she could tell
STRANGE TALES OF NIGHTLY porNGs
IN that same Boulevard de Ia Reforma
both in the past and present, for those
strongest passions of poor human nature
love, hate Jealousy and greed-have not
experienced much reform since the
world began To this place used to HE
the proud Hidalgo, with his trustv rapier
prompt TO revenge some slight to himself
or preference shown to his rival by CO.
quettlsh senorita. Hither, too, when twi
light let his curtain down and pinned it
with star, came mysterious figures. with
faces enyelOped IN male ScrdDes or female
nlG1tHtGS gliding swiftly to some trystinp-
place. Here the trusted servant brought
the perfnmed billet to the waiting cavalier.
or the dark eyed beauty herself, with
beating heart, and the summer of the eli
mate inner blood fastened to the arms of
her impatient lover The outskirts of the
boulevard are lined with some of the swell
est mansions of the aristocracy and even
now occasional reports of pistols, the clash
OF rapiers, or groans Of the dagger's victim
are borne to their windows on the same
breeze with murmurs of tenderness-and
nobody cares, or dares to investigate very
closely.
In the city proper, the police system is as
nearly perfect as anything in Mexico At
every. street corner. by night and by day, a
patrolman stands-not exactly a patrolman
either, because ne seldom moves. All dav
long he stands like a statue motionless
and silent as wooden Indian, unless ad-
dressed by some passer- by-when he an
swers all questions with the greatest
urbanity. Should a row occur, however,
within hearing distance he is off like a
shot to assist his fellows; or if one takes
place in his beat, two or three brother Off
GERS rush as promptly to his assistance 1t
is not wise TO get mixed up in any kind of
street disturbance in the City of Mexico.
for these silent and urbane policemen are
more
DIsAGRgEABLE FELLOWS To DEAL WITH
They seldom use their clubs, but in ap
parently uncomfortable excitement seize
the short swords that dangle around their
heels, and deal terrible blows to the right
and left, or, if the supposed offender turns
to flee, they shoot him wi LII unerring aim
was an unwilling witness to fearful
scene in Monterey. A drunken American,
sallying forth in pursuit of fun" entered
a house and frighted woman, who
screamed for the police. Though he had
done no actual damage and it could not be
proved that he had even said an offensive
word, the policemen flew upon him with
their swords. Attempting to escape, he
was brought down with a shot, and so
hacked and beaten that he died next day.
To be sure he had behaved badly-but no
worse than thousands do daily in the
United States, who are punished at the
most by fine or thirty DAYS :" vet there
was no protest against such high-handed
punishment and nothing was ever said, to
my knowledge, on the part of the murdered
American.
The night policeman brings to his post a
lantern and q blanket. The former he puts
in the middle of the street, and all carriages
are compelled to keep to the right of the
row of lanterns which glimmer, at regular
distances, from one end of the street to the
other. So long rs people are passing he
stands at the corner, alert but motionless,
as by day. In those late hours, when hurry
ing footballs and rolling carriages are no
longer heard, and all the world is supposed
TO be asleep, he retires to some neighboring
doorway, wraps his blanket around him,
and lies down to pleasant dreams. Then it
is best to be safely housed, unless bent
yourself on murd or highway robb ry
XOu may stumble over the wearied guard
ian Of the peace, you make shake him or
step upon him-without producing the
slightest impression or, partially awakened
at last, lie IS quite as likely to shoot the
victim as the thief, or 10 bring them both
down together with his ready sword.
Policemen are remarkably numerous in
Mexico, on account of revolutions, which
are always 10 be apprehended; but, as all
the windows have prison-lk gratiDgs before
them and all the doors are so enormously
heavy that they could not be knocked in
without a catapult. as there are never any
fires indoors 10 start conhagrations, and
most people in the tropics retire early to
arise before the lark and the worEu-his lot
is by no means an unhappy one.
The criminal classes in Mexico are among
the most
ACCOMPLISHED ARTISTS IN THEIR LINE
To be found anywhere on the face of the
earth and possess, moreover, a marvellous
power of Stimulating innocence, which en-
ables them TO impose upon the most in
credulous. They employ the latter faculty
to great advantage in securing situations as
servants, in which capacity they find am
pie scope for their genius. If you detect
them in thieving, and discharge or punish
them. their vindictiveness knows no
bounds, and they will boldly threaten fu-
ture vengeance. Nor are they slow in con-
cocting schemes to that end with sundry
gentlemen of the garrote or the stiletto,
Extraordinarily as respectable as anybody
-prowl the streets nightly in the interests
of their employers.
The pleasant possibilities are that some
fine evening when you least expect it-per-
haps as you are returning from the opera,
humming a fayorite Bsoroedu, or revolving
sweet plans for love or lucre, such fancies
are dispelled by sudden rain of cudgels
upon your devoted head, or, worse yet, by
the keen thrust of a nabgja into the back of
your best claw-hammer coat Just between
the shoulders. If you are not killed out
right and yell for the police, the chances
are ten to one (you being foreigner) that
the assassins will assert, in voluable Span
ish, that you attempted to murder them,
and the police will finish what they failed
10 accomplish.
A case illustrating the servant evil oc-
CURED :, this city not long ago. An Amer
lean residing here discharged his porter for
dishonesty and denounced him to the pub
lie. The vindictive fellow watched his
opportunity, and gave the rendezvous to
three of his pals in the doorway of his
former masters house. Not being known